Britons taken hostage in Yemen more than 15 years ago – in an operation
overseen by Abu Hamza – express relief at verdict

A British tourist taken hostage in Yemen in an incident orchestrated by Abu Hamza then used as a human shield during a bloody firefight voiced his relief on Monday night at the radical preacher’s conviction on terrorism charges.

Laurence Whitehouse and his wife Margaret were part of a group of 16 Western tourists ambushed by armed men in December 1998. Margaret and three others, including two more Britons, were shot dead after being held for 26 hours as the Yemeni Army mounted a heavy-handed operation to free them.

Laurence Whitehouse and his wife Margaret were part of a group of 16 Western tourists ambushed by armed men (ROGER ALLEN)

Mr Whitehouse told The Telegraph: “This has taken a long time, even though there was evidence of his involvement early on.

“We could have had less trouble and strife in the world if effective action had been taken against him earlier.”

Margaret Whitehouse (Roger Allen)

Another of the hostages to escape with their lives, Eric Firkins, 70, also expressed concern that the Islamist preacher had been allowed to breed hate on the streets for so long.

“I was angry the Government was that sensitive to racial issues that they didn’t want to antagonise Muslims by arresting the preacher,” said Mr Firkins, a retired chemistry tutor.

“Abu Hamza said during his trial he was only a mouthpiece and had no other involvement in the hostage situation. That is far from the truth.

Eric Firkins has expressed concern that the Islamist preacher had been allowed to breed hate on the streets for so long (PAUL GROVER)

“I wanted justice for what I had been through. It was his fault I was taken hostage, that people had been killed.

“When he was arrested I felt some justice had been done, when he was extradited I felt I could put it in the past – it’s the responsibility of another country now.

“The worst thing, coming back from Yemen was finding it had all been organised in north London. For years I saw him on the television every day, a free man who was still spouting hatred. Now I can parcel it up.”

Mrs Whitehouse was shot dead as she tried to staunch the bleeding of another fatally wounded hostage.

Mr Whitehouse said that it had been clear since early 1999 that Abu Hamza had played a crucial role in the terrorist attack, but insisted he was not seeking revenge against the Islamist preacher.

“The involvement of Abu Hamza came out in spring 1999 and by autumn that year it was clear that he was the instigator of the hostage-taking,” said Mr Whitehouse.

“I’m pleased by the fact that after a long period of time he’s actually been brought to trial and that these events have been aired in public more explicitly and openly than has previously been the case.

“I’m not interested in revenge or retribution because I think that way is destructive for everybody.

“If he continues preaching his message of violence then he ought to be kept in jail for as long as he continues to hold that ideology.”

A family photograph of Margaret and Laurence Whitehouse (ROGER ALLEN)

In a remarkable coincidence one of the men in the group of 16 victims in the Yemen hostage taking was a specialist in theology who had expressed serious concern about the activities of Abu Hamza even before being kidnapped.

David Holmes, who survived the ordeal but died from a tropical disease five years later, had even seen Abu Hamza preach at Finsbury Park mosque in north London, his brother said.

Martin Holmes, 76, from Hampshire, said: “He used to run a hostel for overseas students run by the Methodist church.

“He used to go to Finsbury Park mosque where Abu Hamza was preaching. Indeed, he saw him preach many times.

“When we used to chat about the London scene he mentioned this Islamic preacher with a hook who spread this violent criticism of the Western way of life, and that the police were just standing there and letting it all happen.

David Holmes had survived the ordeal but died from a tropical disease five years later (ROGER ALLEN)

“David had already formed a very critical opinion of Abu Hamza.

“It was not all that surprising to learn later that Abu Hamza was involved in what happened in Yemen.”

David died in 2003 aged 68, a few days after returning from a trip to Niger, west Africa, where he had contracted cerebral malaria, his brother said.

“Someone from the American justice system got in touch a few years ago and wondered if my brother would make an appearance at any forthcoming court hearing.

“Strangely enough the call from them came on the same day his funeral was being held.”

The court heard that Hamza admitted supplying a satellite telephone to the kidnappers, and the equipment was used to make a call between Hamza and Abu Hassan, the leader of the hostage-takers, shortly before the 16 hostages were taken in December 1998.

“The satellite phone did feature in my brother’s recollections of the event,” said Mr Holmes.

“The kidnappers told the hostages to stand up as the Yemeni Army was approaching, using them as a human shield,” said Mr Holmes.

“One of the hostage-takers produced the phone and told my brother to call the Prime Minister of the time [Tony Blair].

“I don’t think he phoned Downing Street but I remember saying to him later 'You should have phoned me instead to see if there was anything I could do’.

“As the Yemen soldiers approached them my brother disregarded the instructions to stay standing and prostrated himself on the ground. I think this helped save his life, because others who were standing lost their lives.”

David was a “strong Christian” and had taken a degree in theology at Oxford University, his brother said.

“That had involved him studying Islam, and so forth. He knew more about the theology of Islam than his kidnapper and that may have been a factor in them sparing him when he disobeyed them.”